Universal Display Corporation (PANL) came to SID 2008 in Los Angeles with the latest in its industry-leading OLED and PHOLED technology: the world’s thinnest, active-matrix OLED prototype seen to date. The electronic paper is part of a series of ever-thinning prototypes that demonstrate the robustness of organic LEDs on metallic foil substrates. If all that sounds very jargon-y, here’s the translation; in the coming years, improved OLED technology will find its way into increasingly low-power flat displays for laptops, mobile phones and other portable devices. What’s notable about Universal Display’s prototypes is their flexibility; if ultra-thin OLED surfaces can be made increasingly flexible, they may emerge as a reusable alternative to traditional paper in the coming decades.

Universal Display’s technology was more saliently on display at the Seiko Epson booth at SID 2008, where Epson was brandishing its new A4 size 13.4-inch electronic paper. At a resolution of 3104 × 4128 pixels with a 385ppi definition, a 10:1 contrast ratio, and 40 percent reflectance, the e-paper’s stats are one of the most impressive efforts to date. The E-Papers are made using E Ink Corp’s electronic ink and a low-temperature poly-crystal Si-TFT. Epson says it has no current plans to commercialize its e-paper, opting instead to continue its market research into pulp paper replacement.